By Aqeel Nomani
hai mein si thi
aur mein si nahin hoti
aur mein si nahin hoti
“It seems there was some small lack in the love — and a small lack in love is no small thing.”
Romanहिन्दीAqeel Nomani
लगता है में सी थी
और में सी नहीं होती
और में सी नहीं होती
The verse in Devanagari — it carries the authenticity of the original, and every Hindi reader can read it.
♪ Hear the coupletA recitation in a synthesized voice.
The Interpretation
The couplet circles a single phrase — "a small lack in love" — and on the second pass overturns the word "small," insisting that no shortfall in love is ever minor. The repetition itself enacts the truth: what seemed a tiny crack will not stay tiny once you say it twice.
For You, Today
Do not dismiss a small deficiency in love as something you can live with — in love, small lacks do not stay small.
A couplet built entirely on turning its own modest word against itself.
Themes:Love & LossLonging
More from Aqeel Nomani
The heart of this site stays with Iqbal: explore his couplets → Or browse the whole Other Voices shelf →